Most of us have our little rituals before sleep. Whether it is applying a face mask, scrolling through Instagram, or reading a book we have been engrossed in for a while, we all have our rituals before bedtime. But there is one version of bedtime reading that could be quietly affecting your brain’s long-term health. The Tablet Trap Experts say the blue-white light from these devices is tricking your brain into thinking it is still daytime. That light suppresses melatonin, the hormone that tells your body to sleep. Without enough melatonin, your circadian rhythm, basically your internal clock, goes haywire. And when your body clock is off, so is your sleep quality.Science Has ReceiptsThis is not just a “some people feel tired” situation. A study found that people who read on tablets before bed showed measurable changes: their melatonin levels dipped, they took longer to doze off, they missed out on precious REM cycles, and they felt groggy the next morning.Another study clocked that just two hours of evening screen reading significantly delayed melatonin release, with higher brightness levels making things worse. The everyday “normal” routine of winding down with a glowing screen may be programming you for long-term trouble.From Poor Sleep to Dementia RiskSleep is not just beauty rest; it is brain housekeeping. During deep and REM sleep, your brain consolidates memories, clears toxic waste products, and essentially resets itself for the next day.Long-term disruption to this process has dire consequences. The Whitehall II study, which followed nearly 8,000 adults over three decades, found that middle-aged people consistently sleeping six hours or less had about a 30 per cent higher chance of developing dementia later in life.In other words, if you are routinely cheating your brain of quality sleep, you are upping the odds that cognitive decline will come knocking sooner than you would like. Add to that the fact that tablet use specifically causes fragmented REM sleep, and suddenly your bedtime routine doesn’t look so relaxing after all.Better Bedtime HabitsYou do not need to give up reading. You just need to swap pixels for something kinder on your body clock.Paper is your friend: Old-fashioned paperbacks and hardcovers don’t emit brain-confusing light. Your book might weigh more than a Kindle, but your neurons will thank you.Audiobooks to the rescue: Prefer tech? Use it wisely. Download an audiobook or switch on a podcast with your device’s screen turned off.Declare a screen curfew: If you must use a tablet, dim the brightness, enable night mode, hold it farther from your face, and put it down at least an hour before bed.Light it right: A soft bedside lamp behind your shoulder beats the harsh glare of a backlit screen. Go for warm, amber-toned bulbs.Make your room a cave: Blackout curtains, eye masks, and hiding any blinking chargers will help keep your sleep sanctuary truly dark.It is not about what you are reading, whether it is the latest bestseller, a dusty classic, or guilty-pleasure fan fiction. The problem lies in how you are reading it. Backlit tablets may feel modern and convenient, but the long-term cost of disrupted sleep could be a sharper risk of dementia.
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